Alhaji Harruna Attah’s attacks on Dr. Bawumia is very strange and unbecoming. I am tempted to believe what many have opined over the years. Since our dear late Aliu Mahama was not made flagbearer by delegates of NPP, he has been on a crusade to nail the party and its leaders. I can assure him that he is fighting a losing battle. His penchant for resorting to politics of tribalism with the full support of the ruling NDC party is most disgusting. His motivation for his attacks on NPP has been clear for a while, at least since the NDC party came to power.
Alhaji Attah says he is the Publicity Committee Chairman of the Aliu Mahama Memorial Lecture held yesterday, 13th November, 2013 at the Accra International Conference Centre. Yet his interviews have exposed him badly. The Aliu Mahama Foundation had the right to choose anybody to be the key speaker for their maiden event. They chose Dr. Mahmoud Bawumia to speak on a particular topic that was well publicized. I believe Alhaji Attah was part of those who chose Dr. Bawumia to be the key speaker for the event for the night.
Apart from the Publicity Chairman of the event, everybody else knew the topic for the lecture was "DISCIPLINE IN ECONOMIC MANAGEMENT: THE KEY TO SUSTAINABLE GROWTH AND PROSPERITY". Alhaji Haruna Attah has been granting interviews and "disassociating" himself from the lecture. According to him the topic for the event was on “the need for a disciplined youth to advance development”. What he has been saying in the media cannot and is not the true picture.
I feel totally scandalized by the posture of my elder. It is fair for him to disagree with the opinion of Dr. Bawumia. Dr. Bawumia gave a lecture on the economy of Ghana as demanded by the theme of the lecture. Whether Ghanaians will believe what Alhaji Attah says about the economy over what the former Deputy Central Bank Governor says, that is another matter.
When confronted with hard facts of their performance, the NDC government has always resorted to name calling and insults. Hardly do they have serious minds and fine brains to debate the details of an intellectual challenge. Unfortunately, Alhaji Attah seem to be leading that onslaught this time.
Dr. Bawumia’s lecture on the economy was excellent and it resonated with what the ordinary Ghanaian felt. The economy is weak because of fiscal indiscipline by the NDC government. Government officials have on several occasions admitted the economy is challenged. Indeed, NDC parliamentarians lamented few days ago about how due to lack of funds they cannot conduct parliamentary duties. Dr. Bawumia exposed that the NDC government, in its first gear under 5years has borrowed up to $20,000,000,000.00. Yet there is very little to show for all the monies borrowed. Funds borrowed are rather effortlessly injected into projects like GYEEDA, ZEERA, SUBAH, AZONGTABA, ISOFOTON etc. Dr. Bawumia further exposed the untruths in the government’s claim that the Single Spine Salary System is the cause of the woes of the country’s economy.
These are the issues the former Deputy Central Bank Governor exposed to the public. Many were happy about the enlightenment offered. Indeed, President Kufuor was so thrilled that he even advised Dr. Bawumia to compile his speech into a book for all, especially Economics students to study. So why will anybody try to divert the issues raised. I cannot speak for the dead, but I am sure the late former Vice President will be comfortable with the truth about Ghana’s economy.
Alhaji Attah’s behavior is very unfortunate. The way he is frantically disassociating himself from his lecture and apologizing to President Mahama is most embarrassing and disgraceful. One begins to wonder if he is also on the long list of presidential staffers. I feel let down by Alhaji Haruna Attah!
Patriot Faisal Ibrahim
patriotfaisal@gmail.com